As antiabortion activists expect President Trump to move forward on his promise to defund Planned Parenthood, a new poll out Friday suggests that 62 percent of Americans oppose cutting off federal funding for Planned Parenthood while 31 percent support the move.

The poll from Quinnipiac University suggests that women are more opposed to the idea of defunding Planned Parenthood than men, 69 percent to 55 percent. By party 63 percent of Republicans support defunding the organization, compared with 7 percent of Democrats and 31 percent of independents.

Of those who were polled, 70 percent say they agree with the 1973
Roe v. Wade
decision that determined abortion as a woman’s right, while 26 percent disagree. The Pew Research Center poll
last fall found a similar number (69 percent) oppose overturning the decision.

People gather at the base of the Washington Monument Friday morning for the March for Life. (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post)

After 43 years of doggedly demonstrating against abortion at the annual March for Life each January, thousands of abortion opponents are gathering Friday on the Mall with great reason for optimism. Just days into his presidency, Donald Trump has made abortion one of his first priorities in office.

With a likely eye toward rewarding voters who supported him based heavily on expectations that he would act on abortion, Trump has already revived an old policy banning U.S. funding for groups abroad that pay for abortions or provide information about abortion. On Tuesday, he signaled his intentions to nominate an antiabortion justice to the Supreme Court next week, and he has vowed more action to follow.